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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26756086">The Tithe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilithiumwords/pseuds/lilithiumwords'>lilithiumwords</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Angels &amp; Demons, Demon/Human Relationships, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Ice Skating, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:22:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,870</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26756086</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilithiumwords/pseuds/lilithiumwords</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Long ago, demons and angels fought in a war. The demons won. In payment for their triumph, they claimed a small portion of humans as their tithe from the angels. Every human has a small chance of becoming part of this tithe when they go through puberty... as evidenced by a special symbol on their stomach. A demon will claim their tithe by the human's twenty-fifth birthday.</p><p>The day after he first watches Viktor Nikiforov skate on ice, Yuuri gains a tithe marque.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>601</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Tithe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first time Yuuri sees Viktor Nikiforov, he is twelve years old and sitting in Ice Castle, watching a tiny television where Viktor is dancing as if his feet are touching nothing but air.</p><p>"He must be an angel," Yuuko sighs, and Yuuri has to agree. It's easy to fall in love with Viktor, who skates with such passion and grace. When Viktor looks up at the camera, blue eyes glittering in the light, Yuuri feels like Viktor is looking straight at him. His heart gives a sharp pang.</p><p>
  <i>I want to skate with him.</i>
</p><p>For the rest of the day, he <i>aches</i>, with some sort of need his young body doesn't understand. The next day, he wakes up with a tithe marque on his belly.</p><p>"Oh my," his mother says.</p><p>"That's a funny thing," his father says.</p><p>"It's a demon tithe," his doctor says, with a heavy frown. "They appear during puberty on a very small percentage of the population. For a long time, people thought they were a curse, but..." He eyes Yuuri with an odd sort of pity. Yuuri feels too small for his own body.</p><p>"Tell me," Yuuri whispers. His mother doesn't even shush him for his rudeness.</p><p>"You know that angels and demons exist, of course," the doctor finally says. "For most of human history, they were at war. Then, some few hundred years ago, the demons won. Life for humans didn't change, except for this tithe. Part of the surrender agreement with the angels was that a small number of humans would be given to the demons as a tithe. They are marked with this symbol, though it's different for every person."</p><p>Yuuri looks down at his flat belly where the marque lies. He's starting to understand. His parents are shocked, but Yuuri doesn't look at them.</p><p>"He will be claimed by a demon before his twenty-fifth birthday," the doctor finally says, as gently as he can. As if he is announcing Yuuri's death -- and maybe he is. His parents gasp and clutch at each other, leaning forward to ask questions. Yuuri says nothing, his mind buzzing.</p><p>
  <i>I'm going to die.</i>
</p><p>Yuuri stops listening after that, letting his parents handle the rest of the conversation with the doctor. From what he understands, demons will take their chosen tithes sometime in the person's twenties, and almost always, the person is never heard from again. To Yuuri, that means certain death.</p><p>Later that night, after lots of hugs from his family and a long discussion that went right over his head, Yuuri lies in bed. He hasn't looked at his stomach since the doctor called it a curse. It certainly feels like a curse, a heavy pall over his life that will keep him from ever doing anything worthwhile. He's twelve now, and he's already lived half his life.</p><p>When he is certain that everyone else is asleep, Yuuri pulls out the flashlight he took from the kitchen and clicks it on. He pulls down his pants slowly, revealing the deep pink marking. It looks a little like a heart, with winding lines that fan out from the center on either side, kind of like wings. He touches it carefully, but it doesn't feel any different than his skin, except an odd smoothness. It almost feels warm.</p><p>He takes his hand away and shoves the flashlight under his pillow again.</p><p>He resolves to keep this a secret from Yuuko and Takeshi. He doesn't want their pity. He just wants to skate as much as he can. </p><p>The next few weeks drag out Yuuri's suffering. He doesn't know what to do with himself, now that he's learned of his fate. He stops going to the <i>onsen</i> when anyone else is around. He gives up on homework, ballet, even skating. His mother still dresses him up and sends him to his lessons, but he trudges through them in a fog. </p><p>Yuuko notices. She tries to ask what's bothering him, but Yuuri can't explain it. He doesn't want to share his fate with anyone. Instead of giving up on him, Yuuko tries something else. She invites Yuuri to her house, where she shows him videos of Viktor, her favorite skater and idol. Yuuri's fog begins to recede, as he watches the beautiful, haunting skates of a boy only a few years older than him.</p><p>He wants to skate like that. He wants to skate with Viktor.</p><p>Maybe... maybe someday he can meet Viktor, if he skates hard enough. Skating has been his life for years, something that fills the empty ache inside him, but... he almost lost all of that. He can keep skating; maybe it can give him a purpose, until he meets his fate. He can train and practice, and someday, he can meet Viktor. Then by the time his demon claims him, he will have no regrets.</p><p>Yuuri makes his decision, determined.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~</p>
</div>Yuuri keeps skating. He keeps living, working hard on his ambitions, his eyes fixed on his goal: Viktor. He stops caring about what other teenagers worry over: crushes, grades, relationships. He knows he's going to die someday, so none of that matters. He studies enough that he can make it through school, but the rest of the time, he's at Ice Castle or Minako's studio, training more and more. The only homework he actually does is for the Russian class he's lucky enough to take. He wants to be able to talk to Viktor.<p>He's going to skate with Viktor.</p><p>It's slow going, but Yuuri starts to win competitions. He starts to get bronze, then silver, and then finally gold. Enough gold medals that the JSF notices, and by that time, he is sixteen and skating dreams on ice. At one point, he thinks about going to America to train there, but one of the Japanese coaches contacts him when he's seventeen, and he stays in Japan. He skates and skates and skates, all the while wondering when the demons will take him.</p><p>He meets a few demons. They always seem to blend into crowds easily, but they find him every time. They look like humans, usually, but with unnatural eye colors. They pose as his fans, or as teachers, or as other students. They look at his belly, always covered by his jacket or shirt or costume, and they smirk knowingly. But they leave him alone, whispering that he's 'not ready' and that they'll come back in a few years.</p><p>Then they don't come back. Yuuri doesn't mind. He's already resolved himself to accepting his death, but for now, he just wants to skate.</p><p>Then he turns twenty-three, and he gets invited to the GPF -- where Viktor will also skate.</p><p>He hasn't managed to get to Worlds yet. Viktor's other competitions don't involve Japan. The GPF and Worlds are the only places Yuuri will ever see him, and in his years and years of competitions, he has never gotten to meet Viktor. He watches all of Viktor's skates and wishes every night to meet him, to skate against him and prove himself. He devotes himself to a single person who has never met him, but he can't bring himself to regret it.</p><p>His life is so short, after all. There is no time for regrets.</p><p><i>Finally</i>, Yuuri readies himself for the GPF. Japan sponsors him as their shiny new ace, and Yuuri takes all the accolades with him, flying off to Russia without ever looking back.</p><p>It's time.</p><p>The first day there, Yuuri decides to wander the venue alone. His coach agrees, and so Yuuri sets off walking down the street, hands in the pockets of his coat. He doesn't wear his Team Japan jacket, wanting to avoid some of the reporters and fans if he can.</p><p>He thinks of going to the arena, but his practice block isn't until tomorrow, so there'd be no point except to look. He doesn't want to look; he just wants to stave off the buzz in his mind. He can't rest; his anxiety is too strong. He's going to meet Viktor soon, and he's terrified of it.</p><p>Sooner than he thinks, actually, because when Yuuri turns the corner onto another street, he walks right into Viktor himself.</p><p>"Oomf," Yuuri mumbles into a very soft jacket. Large hands come to grasp his shoulders and gently push him back. Yuuri looks up wearily, an apology on his lips, when he sees unnaturally blue eyes and the buzzing in his mind goes silent.</p><p>He's gaping, he knows it.</p><p>"Are you alright?" Viktor Nikiforov asks in concern, then blinks when he actually looks at Yuuri. His gaze drifts down Yuuri's plain coat and jeans. His hands tighten on Yuuri's shoulders. Then he meets Yuuri's eyes again and smiles, a charming heart-shaped smile that looks perfectly angelic.</p><p>He might actually be an angel. Yuuri always had his suspicions. They're still around, as far as Yuuri knows, but he's never met one.</p><p>"Um," Yuuri says stupidly. It's like he's forgotten all the Russian he learned just for this moment.</p><p>"How interesting," Viktor murmurs, his smile widening. "I'm so sorry for bumping into you. May I treat you to a coffee? I'm Viktor, by the way. What's your name?"</p><p>"Yes?" Yuuri squeaks, horrified at himself. All the questions and charming words are making his head spin. "Yuuri?"</p><p>"Nice to meet you, Yes Yuuri," Viktor says with a small smirk. Yuuri covers his embarrassment with gloved hands.</p><p>"I'm so sorry," he says to his hands, muffled by his own shame. "I'm Yuuri. Please just ignore me."</p><p>"Oh, I could never do that." Before Yuuri can puzzle out those words, Viktor lets him go, only to put one of those elegant hands at his back, gently steering him forward. Yuuri follows without thinking, letting Viktor take him away.</p><p>He wonders if this is what it will be like when his demon comes for him.</p><p>They end up in a blissfully warm café, next to a large fireplace with holly and ivy winding over the mantel. Viktor sets him on a large sofa and strides away, while Yuuri blinks at the crackling fire and wonders how he got here. He peels off his gloves slowly and holds his hands out to the fire, seeking its warmth and enlightenment. Because he is <i>lost</i> and has no idea what he's doing here.</p><p>Viktor returns with two steaming cups. He places one on the table in front of them and presses the other into Yuuri's empty hands, smiling at him.</p><p>The coffee smells like cinnamon and chocolate. Yuuri takes a sip and almost moans.</p><p>"So, Yuuri," Viktor says, lounging on the couch and facing him, relaxed like he owns the whole café, "what brings you to Sochi?"</p><p>Yuuri peeks over the edge of his cup. His heart sinks a little; it's obvious by now, but Viktor does not know him. Yuuri expected it, since they have never skated together before, but he's a little disappointed anyway. He clears his throat and looks down at his drink. The foam has a picture of a heart on it; it looks uncomfortably like his marque.</p><p>He clears his mind of such thoughts. "I'm here for the competition."</p><p>Viktor's smile widens. "Oh, really? Are you a skating fan?"</p><p>Here goes nothing. "I'm a skater," Yuuri says quickly, taking another sip to busy himself. He glances up, only to find Viktor's face stuck in a surprised expression. Then Viktor leans forward, blue eyes wide with delight.</p><p>"Really? You're in the GPF? Are you one of the ice dancers? Wait, no." Viktor's eyes go wide. "You're... oh! Yuuri Katsuki, right? Aren't you?"</p><p>Yuuri can only stare. Did Viktor Nikiforov just say his name? "Bwuh?"</p><p>Viktor grasps Yuuri's hands, nearly unsettling his coffee. His heart-shaped smile is back and bigger than ever. "You're in the GPF with me! I <i>knew</i> I recognized you! You skated that absolutely divine performance of <i>A Midsummer's Night</i>! I rewatched your skate so many times," Viktor sighs. He might as well be speaking Greek, for all Yuuri understands.</p><p>"You... know about me?" he asks, in such a small voice that Viktor immediately looks at him sharply.</p><p>"I know all my competitors," Viktor says simply. Then he smiles. "With your hair down and your glasses on, I couldn't tell at first. A very handy disguise."</p><p>"It's not a disguise," Yuuri says without thinking, then turns pink and looks down at his coffee. Viktor's hands are still covering his own. They're very warm, and Yuuri almost wants to pull away, but <i>Viktor Nikiforov is touching him.</i> He doesn't dare move. "This is just... me. I'm sorry for disappointing you."</p><p>"You haven't disappointed me," Viktor says, sounding surprised. He squeezes Yuuri's hands once, then lets go, and when Yuuri dares to look up again, Viktor is smiling softly. "I'm honored to meet you, Yuuri Katsuki."</p><p>Yuuri thinks his heart might burst from happiness and disbelief. Viktor knows who he is... and is happy to meet him? A demon could walk in and take him away right now, and he would have no regrets. He manages a smile, despite knowing how red his face is. He wants Viktor to see how happy he is.</p><p>"I'm happy to meet you too, Viktor. I can't wait to skate with you," he blurts out, then covers his mouth. "I'm, um..."</p><p>"I look forward to it as well, Yuuri. Will you tell me more about yourself?"</p><p>So Yuuri does, not really believing that Viktor is actually asking. Somehow, it's easy to talk to Viktor, with his big smile and beautiful blue eyes. Yuuri finds them even more exhilarating up close, after staring into pictures of them for years. He's never seen eyes that are such a pretty blue, except in demons, who always have weird eye colors, as if their demonic powers can't help but shine through whatever glamours they don to hide from humans.</p><p>The two of them end up walking back to the venue together, after Viktor asks where Yuuri is staying, and they find out they're in the same hotel. The arena is just down the street, an easy walk, though with the cold weather, Yuuri imagines he will take the bus a few times this week. He crosses his fingers, hoping that he will get to ride with Viktor sometimes. Meeting him today has been wonderful, but he hopes he gets to see Viktor more.</p><p>Viktor escorts Yuuri into the lobby, his hand gently touching Yuuri's back. Yuuri can't deny that he loves all the little touches, even if they make his heart beat erratically with excitement and embarrassment. To distract himself, Yuuri tries to look around the room for anyone else he recognizes; but when he scans the lobby, he sees a demon. He goes stiff with shock.</p><p>
  <i>No, not yet. I haven't skated with Viktor yet.</i>
</p><p>He ducks his head and hopes that the demon won't look at him -- but they do. Demons always manage to find him. The tithe marque must call to them in some mystical way that Yuuri can't sense.</p><p>Then the demon blinks, looks behind Yuuri, and abruptly turns around and walks away. Yuuri stares after them, confused, and looks over his shoulder, but all he sees is Viktor, standing there smiling.</p><p>"Are you alright, Yuuri?" Viktor asks. Yuuri nods quickly and turns to face Viktor, almost dizzy with relief that the demon didn't approach him. He just needs a little more time. Then they can do whatever they want to him.</p><p>"I guess I'll see you at the opening ceremony later," Yuuri says shyly. "Thank you for the coffee. And for walking with me." He holds out his hand, happy to pay his respects to his idol.</p><p>Instead of shaking his hand or simply nodding, Viktor does something that just about destroys any sanity Yuuri has left. He reaches out and takes Yuuri's hand, lifting it and kissing the bare skin. Yuuri stares at him, silent with shock, while Viktor smiles.</p><p>"It was my pleasure today, Yuuri, and it will be my pleasure again. Until then."</p><p>Then he walks away, and Yuuri is left standing in the lobby, wondering what the hell just happened.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~</p>
</div>The week progresses in a bewildering haze of happiness, confusion, and fear.<p>Viktor keeps finding Yuuri in the oddest of places. He shows up at Yuuri's practice block as if he belongs there, despite Yuuri knowing that Viktor's practice is with the other group. Yuuri throws himself into his skating anyway, letting himself show off a little. When Viktor claps for him after a particularly difficult landing, he feels as if he could fly, he's so happy.</p><p>Other times, Viktor shows up at Yuuri's hotel room, inviting him out for dinner and coffee and walks around the city. Yuuri says yes every time, even when he's supposed to meet someone else, because who else matters? Viktor is the reason he is in Sochi in the first place. Even if he doesn't understand why Viktor keeps seeking him out, Yuuri is more than happy to spend time with him.</p><p>It helps that Viktor is fun to be around. Yuuri finds he can talk to Viktor about almost anything. They spend hours talking about skating, music, movies, and food, and Yuuri finds out that Viktor shares a lot of the same interests as him. Granted, a lot of Yuuri's interests are because he read about Viktor liking them in magazines, but he has his own likes and dislikes, despite what his idol prefers. It's nice, knowing that he and Viktor can get along so well.</p><p>Viktor even takes him shopping. Yuuri quickly learns that he can't say he wants something, otherwise Viktor will buy it for him. He ends up with several bags of souvenirs and clothes that he absolutely doesn't need, because Viktor apparently really likes to spoil his friends.</p><p>Because Yuuri is his friend, now. Viktor said so himself. It's a wonder Yuuri's happiness doesn't make him float away.</p><p>The downside is that Yuuri keeps seeing demons, and their appearances scare him. Demons seem to be more prevalent in Russia than Japan; most demons in Japan prefer to keep to themselves, instead of messing around with humans. Maybe it has to do with belief, too; most of Russia is Orthodox Christian, while Japan doesn't hold to such beliefs.</p><p>Well, Yuuri has never cared about the history or mythology behind any of it. He can't change his future. He will become a demon's sacrifice because of bad luck, and he's made peace with that.</p><p>All he wants to do is spend a few days with Viktor and skate with him. Then the demons circling him can have their meal.</p><p>Strangely, despite Yuuri's fears, the demons never approach him. In fact, Yuuri would go so far as to say they're <i>avoiding</i> him, though he couldn't say why for the life of him. He takes the small respite with a sigh, turning his attention back to Viktor, who keeps smiling at him and talking to him and spending time with him.</p><p>It's almost as if the demons are avoiding <i>Viktor</i>. More evidence of Viktor being an angel, maybe. Yuuri doesn't think that an angel could save him from his fate, though, so he doesn't mention his suspicions. Angels aren't really supposed to be on Earth, now that the demons have won their war, but Yuuri has heard stories about them.</p><p>He does wonder, though.</p><p>Finally the day of the competition dawns, and Yuuri rises early, determined. He showers, eats his breakfast, and goes to the arena as soon as he can. His coach is as ambitious as Yuuri, and she stands beside him as a silent guardian while he stretches, headphones firmly in place. His sister sends him a text with a picture of his dog, Vicchan, happily snoozing in her lap, and Yuuri saves the image with a smile.</p><p>He's going to skate for Viktor today.</p><p>When Yuuri steps onto the ice, he can feel Viktor's eyes on him. If he turns his head just so, he can see blue eyes watching him from the sidelines, beyond the cameras and his coaches. Such an unnatural blue; yet Yuuri finds his anxiety draining away when he meets Viktor's eyes and nods. He sees a smile touch Viktor's lips, before Yuuri turns away and settles into his pose.</p><p>Then he skates, and it's like flying.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~</p>
</div>"Silver is amazing, Yuuri! You were so close to gold, too!"<p>"Thank you, Viktor," Yuuri says, already into his third glass of champagne and all but glowing. The banquet room is bright with twinkling gold lights and red ribbons, and Yuuri feels elegant in his suit and matching red tie. He would have worn blue, but the tie he brought from Japan went missing the day he showed his suit to Viktor, during one of Viktor's visits to his room. A red tie was delivered the evening before the banquet, which was a relief. His coach must have ordered it for him.</p><p>Viktor has barely left his side, looking resplendent in his beautiful gray suit and indigo tie. Yuuri could look at him all day and be perfectly happy. He did it; he really did it! He skated against Viktor!</p><p>Yuuri didn't win, but that's okay with him. He proved himself and skated against his idol, and later they even got to skate <i>together</i> for the closing ceremony. Yuuri's so happy, and he wants Viktor to know it, too.</p><p>"Viktor," Yuuri whines, leaning across his chair into Viktor's space. Viktor just smiles at him in bemusement. "Will you dance with me? Since I almost beat you, I want the first dance."</p><p>"Okay," Viktor says with a laugh, taking Yuuri's glass and setting it on the table. "I was going to ask you to dance with me, too, so that works into my plans perfectly."</p><p>Yuuri blinks at him, as Viktor stands and holds out a hand. "Plans?" He lets Viktor pull him up and lead him to the dance floor. Viktor chuckles and turns to face him, leaning in close with a smirk.</p><p>"Oh yes, I have many plans for you, Yuuri. Now, dance with me?"</p><p>"Yeah, let's dance," Yuuri says, letting the alcohol speak for him. He's too happy to question Viktor's motives. Viktor has been so nice this past week, visiting him often and then meeting his challenge on the ice. Now Viktor is dancing with him! He must be in heaven.</p><p>Viktor pulls Yuuri into a close embrace, smiling as his lips meet Yuuri's hair, just above his temple. Yuuri's breath stutters, but before he can ask about the touch -- kiss? -- Viktor sweeps them away into a waltz.</p><p>Ah, to dance in Viktor's arms... Yuuri could die happy.</p><p>"You must be an angel," he murmurs into Viktor's lapel. Viktor chuckles, a deep sound that reverberates against Yuuri's chest.</p><p>"No, definitely not. But you might be, my dear."</p><p>Yuuri's ears turn pink at the sweet epithet. He tightens his arms around Viktor, unable to handle how happy he is. How hot his cheeks are with embarrassment and pleasure. How nice it feels, to pretend that Viktor is romancing him, that everything that has happened this week has been because Viktor wants to be with him.</p><p>It's going to hurt so much when Yuuri has to go home and let a demon kill him. He wants these memories with Viktor to be the last thing in his mind, so that he can die with a smile.</p><p>Maybe Viktor isn't an angel, since he denied it so easily. But Yuuri loves him anyway, not that he could ever say so.</p><p>"You're a wonderful dancer, Yuuri," Viktor says into his ear, voice soft and deep. Yuuri shivers in response, certain that Viktor can feel the beat of his heart.</p><p>"Lots of training," Yuuri says weakly. Then he takes a deep breath, steels himself, and slips out of Viktor's arms. He holds out his hand, and Viktor looks at him in delight. When Viktor takes his hand, Yuuri doesn't hesitate to lead him into an elaborate salsa, not afraid to show Viktor what he can do.</p><p>He's not afraid of anything any longer. If all he gets is one night, one small week of his life with Viktor, then Yuuri will be happy.</p><p>He lets the magic of the night and Viktor's smile sweep him away. They dance for hours; Viktor is just as talented at dancing as he is at skating, and Yuuri loves every moment of it. He doesn't drink too much, just enough to feel the buzz of delight, to stave off the depression that will settle in when he wakes up tomorrow and remembers that he will soon die.</p><p>Viktor stays with him all night. Dancing, and laughing, and smiling with a joy that Yuuri doesn't remember noticing in his pictures before. He wonders what kind of life Viktor has lived, to be so reserved, despite leveling that charming smile at any reporter or fan that crosses his path. Yet every exchange with Yuuri has been genuine, or at least he wants to believe so.</p><p>When the banquet ends, and Yuuri is drunk on happiness and too much champagne, he invites Viktor back to his room.</p><p>Viktor pauses in the little alcove where Yuuri propositioned him. His eyes are keen and solemn, despite hours of gaiety. "Are you sure?" he murmurs, standing too close for Yuuri's peace of mind. He wants to keep touching Viktor. He wants to kiss him, to be with him. It would be the perfect end to a perfect week.</p><p>"Yeah," Yuuri whispers roughly. He can't tell Viktor why, but he wants Viktor to be his first, his only until the demons come for him. Viktor smiles slowly and leans down, nudging Yuuri's nose with his own, then capturing Yuuri's lips in a kiss to seal the deal.</p><p>Yuuri clings to him, lightheaded with desire.</p><p>Viktor leads him upstairs without a backwards glance. They spend the elevator ride in each other's arms, Yuuri unable to stop touching Viktor, a soft flush on his cheeks. The rumor has always been that demons prefer virgins, but Yuuri wants to defy his fate to the very end. Let them feast on his consecrated body, defiled by a man that he loves. This is the fate he chooses.</p><p>Viktor watches him, quiet with his own introspection, but his hands keep moving to touch Yuuri, stroking his cheek, his neck, his hands in wonder. Yuuri leans into his touches, aching for more. Viktor smiles softly just before the elevator chimes, kissing Yuuri's knuckles, before tugging him out into the hallway.</p><p>Yuuri follows, exhilarated. He hasn't been to Viktor's room before. It doesn't surprise him that Viktor has one of the VIP suites; he knows by now that Viktor has expensive taste. When Viktor leads him into the suite, Yuuri spots a small bag and receipt on the table, from a men's boutique he saw the other day. He narrows his eyes, but then Viktor steps in front of him and catches his chin with a strong hand, lifting him for a kiss.</p><p>Yuuri puts the suspicion out of his mind. If Viktor wants to buy him ties and other nonsense, then Yuuri won't complain. He leans up into the kiss, not caring about his own lack of experience, because Viktor doesn't seem to care, either.</p><p>"I'd wanted to take my time with this, but you're too irresistible," Viktor mutters, his hands already divesting Yuuri of his clothes. Yuuri laughs shakily and shrugs off his jacket, leaving it on the floor with his red tie, then works on helping Viktor with his own clothes.</p><p>"I can't wait either. Please," Yuuri can't help but beg. Viktor lets out a low noise, almost like a growl, and grabs Yuuri's hand and drags him through the suite to the bedroom.</p><p>Yuuri catches him in another kiss just a few feet from the bed. He lets Viktor back him up, leaving a trail of clothes and shoes, until Viktor picks him up by the waist and bodily moves him, setting him on the plush blanket with a burning look on his face. Yuuri tries to keep kissing him, but Viktor takes him by the shoulders and pushes him flat on his back. Yuuri's breath rushes out of him in shock.</p><p>Viktor's gaze drops, and Yuuri realizes with a cold shock that Viktor can <i>see it</i>. His marque, his tithe, the painful curse of his existence. He looks away, reaching down to cover his stomach out of shame, but Viktor catches his wrists and pins them to the bed with one hand easily.</p><p>"Viktor, please, don't look at it," Yuuri whispers, ashamed. Viktor shakes his head abruptly.</p><p>"I knew it was there, but to see it like this... You are <i>beautiful</i>, Yuuri," Viktor whispers, his voice almost feral with some sort of desire that Yuuri doesn't understand. Yuuri turns his head to stare at him, bewildered.</p><p>All people know about the tithe. It has appeared through history for hundreds of years, but it was never understood until modern times, due to superstition and hatred. Even in Japan, it's barely spoken of, except what little doctors will explain to scared preteens. Yuuri has never sought information about his marque; he didn't want to know.</p><p>But now he wonders what Viktor knows... and how he <i>knew.</i></p><p>"Viktor?"</p><p>"It's time to show you," Viktor murmurs, meeting Yuuri's eyes with a smile. "Since you've been so good for me this week. Letting me court you, accepting my gifts, fighting me on the battlefield..."</p><p>"Battlefield?" Yuuri repeats, confused.</p><p>"Well, as far as ice skating can be a battlefield, anyway," Viktor says wryly, his smile widening. "You are the <i>perfect</i> mate, Yuuri. Please, let me have you. Let me give you beautiful children..."</p><p>Yuuri can only stare at him, bewildered. His shock deepens with some sort of understanding that lingers at the edge of his mind; he should know what Viktor means, but he doesn't want to believe it.</p><p>Yet before his eyes, Viktor <i>changes</i>.</p><p>His eyes grow brighter. His teeth elongate into fangs. Horns curl out from his temples, in wicked white arches that frame his head like a crown. Something like fire burns in Viktor's gaze, as he looks down upon Yuuri like a feast, like a sacrifice.</p><p>Like a lord taking his tithe.</p><p>"You're a demon," Yuuri whispers, stunned. Oddly, he doesn't feel fear, like he would at the sight of any other demon. Maybe because it's Viktor; maybe because he has no regrets any longer. He just feels a strange sort of numbness, that the amazing Viktor Nikiforov is actually a demon, and that he has been courting Yuuri.</p><p>"Yes," Viktor whispers, stroking his fingers reverently over Yuuri's stomach. His marque, which used to be a dark pink when he was young, has since deepened into a wicked red color, the same as blood. Yuuri shudders as something hot flashes through his body at the touch, arching without thinking. Viktor's smile turns vicious with victory.</p><p>"I don't understand! What do you mean, courting me? Mates? Children? I'm... aren't you supposed to kill me?" Yuuri asks, his head spinning.</p><p>Viktor lets go of him as if burned. His eyes go wide, and he reaches up to cup Yuuri's face gently. "No! What on earth would make you think that, Yuuri? You're an <i>inmal</i>, my promised one, a demon's mate. How could I think of harming you?"</p><p>Yuuri reaches up with shaking fingers, now that he can move his wrists. Viktor is still on top of him, kneeling over Yuuri's legs, but his hands are gentle and his eyes are so concerned, nothing like Yuuri imagined a demon would be like.</p><p>Yuuri sits up, scooting back carefully, and Viktor lets him. He kneels there alone in just his trousers, half unzipped with a dark bulge beneath, but Yuuri can't focus on what they were just doing. Viktor looks so worried that Yuuri immediately reaches out again to take his hand. He turns Viktor's hand over in his own, seeing long nails that look wickedly sharp, but he doesn't think Viktor would hurt him. Somehow... he trusts Viktor.</p><p>"I think I might be mistaken about a few things," Yuuri says carefully. He can feel his face heating up again. "I thought... that this, this thing... I thought it meant that I was a demon's sacrifice. That when the angels lost the war with you, it meant that humans became their payment to demons."</p><p>"Sacrifice?" Viktor repeats in shock, then sighs loudly. "Is human education so poor that they think such nonsense? No, Yuuri, my darling. This is a marque of pride, of something so precious that any demon would be lucky to have the chance to be with someone like you. After all, you can carry our <i>children.</i>"</p><p>Children. Yuuri's brain shorts out. Children? He looks down at his marque, which looks ethereal with the glow of Viktor's eyes shining on it. Maybe Yuuri should have listened to that doctor a little more closely. He stares blankly at Viktor, who looks even more worried at Yuuri's lack of reaction.</p><p>"Oh, dear... Yuuri, did they not explain this to you? When the marque appeared?" Viktor asks gently.</p><p>"I... don't think I listened," Yuuri says slowly. His voice sounds like his body is far away, and his vision is starting to blur. "The doctor told me I was going to die..."</p><p>"Did he say die?" Viktor asks sharply. Yuuri thinks about it for a moment.</p><p>"I think he said... <i>claimed</i>. But I was twelve, and nobody else knew anything about it. Everyone thought it was a curse. I thought..."</p><p>"Ah," Viktor says, then sighs very deeply. He gathers Yuuri up and sets him against the pillows to recline, in only his shirt and boxers, then sits beside him in a graceful sprawl, in an attempt to make Yuuri feel more comfortable. Yuuri appreciates it; he doesn't know what to do with himself. All his life, he's thought about dying to become a demon's meal, but... he was wrong.</p><p>He's going to become a demon's <i>mate</i>, and hell if Yuuri understands what that means. He always thought he had the worst luck of anyone in the world. Viktor clears his throat, and Yuuri looks at him. In the soft light of the lamp, Viktor looks even more ethereal and beautiful than Yuuri has ever imagined him. If Viktor is the demon to choose him, then... maybe he is very lucky, indeed.</p><p>"You see, the war was... a distasteful thing, but one we were always meant to win. No matter what propaganda the angels want to spout," Viktor says, with a small moue of disgust. "Demons, by themselves, cannot easily procreate. Human fertility is very high compared to ours, so we spend our seed in humans, who will carry our children and birth the next generation." His gaze strays to Yuuri's marque with naked longing. Yuuri swallows against the sudden hot feeling in his chest.</p><p>Viktor kindly pretends not to notice. "The angels did not approve of it. They wanted to use humans to empower themselves, taking your belief and love as their own. They had no carnal interest like demons do, true, but their way of claiming humans was no better than ours, despite pretending they were righteous about their ideas. Truly, they did not want demons to continue as a species, so they went to war with us."</p><p>"But they lost," Yuuri says quietly. "I thought it had to do with God and all that...?"</p><p>Viktor shrugs an elegant shoulder. "Those are human beliefs. Our truths are different. Demons are not punishers of sins, nor angels heralds of divinity. We are simply races that existed long before humans, and we will exist long after your kind withers and fades from memory."</p><p>Somehow, Yuuri likes that idea, that he is insignificant compared to Viktor. It makes him smile. Viktor catches it and returns the smile, despite not knowing Yuuri's thoughts.</p><p>"When we won, we could freely find mates and have children with humans who could carry them. That is the marque, the proof that you can carry a being of higher power." </p><p>"Why do you need humans to carry your children? Aren't there demons who can get pregnant?" Yuuri asks after a moment. If demons have been around for so long, didn't they procreate without humans?</p><p>"There are," Viktor says simply. "Children with humans, though, are far more powerful, because of the strength in a human's soul. That is why being with you is an honor, Yuuri." He reaches out, as if to take Yuuri's hand, then thinks better of it. Yuuri decides he doesn't like that and catches Viktor's hand in his own, entwining his fingers. Viktor's surprise makes him smile.</p><p>"So humans can be with demons. What do humans get out of this?"</p><p>"Our protection," Viktor murmurs. "In exchange, we protect humans from angels and their mindless thievery of your will."</p><p>That surprises Yuuri. He always thought of angels as something <i>good</i>. "Can they really do that? Steal our... power, or will?"</p><p>"Angels gain power when someone believes in them," Viktor explains, frowning at the thought. "Demons are born with their own power, and we gain more power through victory and action. Angels only steal it."</p><p>Yuuri thinks about it for a little while, while Viktor waits, watching him. He thinks he understands it a bit more now, and he has questions. Despite years of ignoring his own marque and the long history of demons, angels, and humans, Yuuri finds himself endlessly curious. He wants to ask Viktor everything.</p><p>But first...</p><p>"So... I can carry children." Yuuri lays a hand over his flat stomach, touching the marque that he usually pretends is nonexistent. He glances at Viktor in time to see him swallow, hunger touching his inhuman face. Even as a demon, Viktor is unfairly beautiful.</p><p>"Only a demon's," Viktor says, a little hoarsely. "Human men can't impregnate you. But I can."</p><p>"You could," Yuuri agrees mildly, belying the sudden hot twinge in his lower stomach. He can feel himself stiffening with arousal, and he knows Viktor can see it, but he pretends that nothing is happening for a bit longer. "Is that why none of the other demons around here have approached? You were scaring them off."</p><p>Viktor's expression turns fierce, sending a thrill through Yuuri, and he sits up slowly, setting a hand on either side of Yuuri and leaning over him. Instead of being afraid, Yuuri only feels exhilarated, his hand pressing harder against his marque, where a strange kind of burn fills him. </p><p>"The moment I laid eyes on you, I claimed you for myself. Those insects have no right to look upon you."</p><p>"Viktor," Yuuri whispers, reaching up to touch Viktor's face. Viktor leans into his palm, lips brushing Yuuri's wrist, and Yuuri swallows back a moan. "I don't... I feel so strange. I thought I was going to die. I've been trying to reach you my whole life, and now you're here, and..."</p><p>"Shh, darling," Viktor murmurs, pressing more kisses to Yuuri's wrist, his fingers. "It's alright. Though, please tell me... what do you mean, you've been trying to reach me?"</p><p>Yuuri flushes. Somehow, that question is more intimate than the sweet kisses Viktor is raining on his skin. He musters his bravery and meets Viktor's eyes, sweeping his thumb across Viktor's cheek.</p><p>"The first time I ever saw you, it was during your junior free skate when you won the championship. The next day, I woke up with this marque. I thought it meant... well, it doesn't matter anymore. But I decided I would devote myself to skating, so that I could skate against you someday. And I did, I finally did, Viktor. I skated against you," Yuuri says, feeling dizzy.</p><p>"Yuuri..."</p><p>Viktor is staring at him, blue eyes wide with an inner fire, some kind of magic that Yuuri doesn't understand, but he can almost feel it searing his soul. Yuuri will gladly become a sacrifice to this man -- this <i>demon.</i> To Viktor.</p><p>"So you've been courting me?" Yuuri asks, needing to understand. Viktor reaches up to cover his hand, taking it and pressing a hot kiss to Yuuri's palm.</p><p>"Ever since I saw you. I never thought I'd be so lucky as to find an <i>inmal</i>, my promised one. As soon as I laid eyes on you, I was gone. Your beauty... your <i>scent</i>," Viktor groans, kissing Yuuri's fingers again, swiping his tongue roughly against the tips of Yuuri's fingers. Yuuri shudders at the sensation, and he can't wait any longer.</p><p>He wraps his arms around Viktor and pulls him down, firmly on top of him, relishing the weight of him. Viktor gasps in surprise, staring down at Yuuri, who smiles up at him.</p><p>"I'll be your <i>inmal</i> if that's what you want from me," Yuuri whispers, the words a promise that settles into his heart.</p><p>"Yuuri," Viktor murmurs helplessly, before pressing Yuuri back against the pillows and kissing him. This isn't the sweet kisses he laid on Yuuri earlier, nor the desirous kisses that led them to Viktor's bed. This is a claim on Yuuri's very soul, a kiss so deep that it reaches inside him and grasps his heart, a part of him that he thought was already gone.</p><p>He had given up, because of a ridiculous misunderstanding. Yuuri is never going to live it down -- but then, he gets to have Viktor Nikiforov. As his <i>mate</i>. And maybe it's only been a week for Viktor, but Yuuri has felt this way for half his life. Maybe demons feel differently than humans. They must, if Viktor is ready to be with him like this, to father his <i>children</i>.</p><p>Children. Yuuri still can't believe that part. He pulls away, reaching up to touch Viktor's face again, his gaze trailing upward to his horns. After glancing at Viktor for permission, Yuuri touches him, admiring the smooth bone, almost velvet in how soft it is. Viktor watches him indulgently, his gaze half-lidded and glowing.</p><p>"So, I'm definitely male..." Yuuri swallows when Viktor's gaze goes sharp again.</p><p>"I will help with that," Viktor murmurs, pressing a hand over Yuuri's marque, which <i>burns</i>. "You have a human's body for now, but once you partake in my magic, your body will change to match a demon's. It may take a few months, but eventually, you will be able to carry my children."</p><p>"And how will I partake in your magic?" Yuuri asks, confused, then blushes red when Viktor's hand drags down his stomach, hooking under his bulge and pressing against Yuuri's entrance through his underwear.</p><p>"When I spend my seed inside you."</p><p>"Oh," Yuuri gasps, his hands tightening around Viktor's horns. He feels himself grow harder at the thought. "I, um... okay."</p><p>"Okay?" Viktor is staring at him again, with such fervent desire that Yuuri is surprised his skin isn't scalded by Viktor's lust. "Then... you consent to become my <i>inmal</i>, my mate, my promised one forever?"</p><p>Yuuri doesn't even need to consider it. "Yes."</p><p>Viktor kisses him again. Yuuri parts his lips for Viktor to deepen the kiss, moaning as Viktor's hot tongue sweeps through him, tasting him deeply. He grips Viktor's horns tightly, shuddering as Viktor presses against his cock. He can feel Viktor's bulge resting against his thigh, a heavy weight that makes him desperate to see it, to feel it in his hands.</p><p>"I want to live with you," Yuuri gasps when Viktor breaks away, pressing hot kisses to his neck. He can feel Viktor's fangs scraping against his skin, and he throws his head back with a moan, rubbing his hips frantically against Viktor's leg. He feels so hot, so desperate, he doesn't know what to do or where to go. He can only tell Viktor what he wants, so he does. "I want to be with you forever. I want to skate with you, and sleep beside you, and be yours always --"</p><p>"Yes, my darling," Viktor growls against Yuuri's neck, kissing the frantic pulse beating beneath Yuuri's skin. "Always. I will hold you, and protect you, and keep you company for all of our eternity. You will never want for anything. I will take care of everything, Yuuri."</p><p>"Yessss," Yuuri moans, writhing. All the little details, like where they will live, how they will get married, what will happen tomorrow -- he doesn't want to worry about it. Viktor can take care of all of that. Yuuri just wants Viktor.</p><p>Viktor pulls away abruptly, helping Yuuri out of his shirt and flinging it across the room, then running his hands down Yuuri's waist to the line of his boxers. Yuuri swallows, staring up at him from where he lies splayed across the pillows, his heart beating in his throat. Viktor smiles at him gently and slips his fingers beneath the cloth, his sharp nails suddenly gone. He carefully drags the boxers down, sliding them off Yuuri's legs and dropping them over the side of the bed. Then Viktor leans back on his haunches, sighing shakily as he gazes down at Yuuri, completely nude and vulnerable before him.</p><p>Viktor's gaze roams down his body, then fixates on the marque. Yuuri resists the urge to cover it up again, his face flushing from Viktor's attention. What was once a curse now feels like a gift; he can have <i>Viktor's children.</i> He can't even imagine it, and yet... he's daydreamed about such a thing before, silly fantasies that never meant anything in the real world. His body couldn't do such things.</p><p>Except now his body <i>can,</i> apparently. Yuuri resolves to ask more questions later, to understand how his body will change, but for now...</p><p>Yuuri slips his hand down to trace the marque, his cock twitching at the way Viktor's gaze goes hot. "I thought I needed your seed," he says teasingly, and Viktor's gaze snaps up to meet Yuuri's eyes.</p><p>"Oh, aren't you enchanting?" Viktor sighs fondly. Then he leans down to take Yuuri's hand away from his marque, pressing hot lips to the heart in the center and whispering a few words that Yuuri doesn't understand, that sound older than time itself. Before Yuuri's eyes, the marque lights up with a strange glow, tinged blue and red at the same time.</p><p>An exhilarating sensation sweeps through Yuuri, hot and wild and <i>magical</i>. He gasps, arching as his very world narrows to his marque, to the press of Viktor's lips against the most intimate part of his body.</p><p>"Viktor!"</p><p>Viktor glances up, his lips curling against Yuuri's skin, before dipping lower and dragging a long finger along Yuuri's cock. He catches a pearl of precome on the tip of his finger and licks it up, sighing at the flavor, while Yuuri trembles at the feeling. He has never been touched by anyone before; only by his own hand, in those nights when he fantasized about moments like this. Of Viktor touching him and kissing him and loving him.</p><p>He never thought those dreams could come true.</p><p>Then Viktor opens his mouth and takes Yuuri's cock inside, and Yuuri sees white. His hands scramble to Viktor's head, to push him away or pull him closer, and his fingers catch onto Viktor's horns and grip him tightly. He can do little more than that.</p><p>He is babbling, he thinks, as Viktor sucks on him, his tongue lavishing parts of Yuuri that he never wanted to share with anyone. He whines, thrusting before he can stop himself, but Viktor only accepts it, swallowing Yuuri down in his throat, which makes Yuuri tremble from the tight, hot suction. He whimpers.</p><p>"Please, please..."</p><p>Viktor lets out a low noise in his throat, his hands gently sliding under Yuuri's thighs and pulling them further apart. Yuuri spreads them as far as he can, wanting more but not knowing how to ask for it, or even what to ask for.</p><p>Thankfully, Viktor seems to understand his needs. He drops a hand between Yuuri's legs, and Yuuri feels something slick pressing against his hole. He throws his head back, gasping as a long finger slides into him, slow and certain. Where Viktor even got lube, he has no idea -- demons must have powers beyond Yuuri's reckoning.</p><p>His body is so hot, and he can't stop moaning, pleading for Viktor to hurry up. His pleas become a litany of Viktor's name, the only word he can say now. Viktor's tongue presses under the sensitive head of his cock, licking him as Yuuri throbs with need, and Viktor's finger is pushing even deeper into him.</p><p>Then another finger joins the first, touching something that sparks inside Yuuri, and his brain short-circuits. Yuuri's body snaps taut, thrusting into Viktor's hot mouth, as he chokes on Viktor's name. He trembles as he spills himself down Viktor's throat, his entrance clenching around Viktor's fingers. He curls over Viktor's horns and tries to pull them back, wanting to protect Viktor from his mess, but Viktor only presses closer, drinking every drop of his come.</p><p>When Viktor finally lets him go, Yuuri slumps against the bed, whining in his throat at the way Viktor leaves one last kiss on his sensitive cock. The realization that Viktor is still moving his fingers is slow, but Yuuri's body goes hot again as he notices the sensation of Viktor's fingers sliding into him over and over, stretching him carefully.</p><p>"Viktor, please," Yuuri whispers, cupping Viktor's face.</p><p>Viktor smiles, pressing a kiss to Yuuri's hands. Maybe he shouldn't keep touching Viktor's face, because those soft kisses are making his knees weak.</p><p>"After tonight, you will belong to no other. You will be mine, and I yours. I ask again, Yuuri... do you accept me?" Viktor asks softly. Yuuri nods, leaning up to kiss Viktor, moaning as Viktor's fingers find that tiny spark again.</p><p>"Please... Viktor, be mine. Let me be yours. I was always meant to belong to a demon, and I want it to be you."</p><p>"Thank you, darling," Viktor sighs, pushing Yuuri back down on the bed. A third finger slides into Yuuri, and he gasps at the feeling of being stretched so surely, so lovingly. His gaze strays to the bulge in Viktor's lap, and Viktor notices his attention and smiles. Then he lifts a hand and snaps a finger.</p><p>His clothes disappear. Yuuri jumps, startled by the strange display. Viktor laughs at the look on his face and leans down to kiss him again, but Yuuri only allows it for a moment before he pushes Viktor back, his eyes on Viktor's cock.</p><p>He's big. Bigger than Yuuri, possibly too much even for a human. Yuuri doesn't have a ruler but he thinks Viktor might be too big to fit inside him. How can he possibly fit? The three fingers inside him suddenly feel very small, and he finds himself trembling in anticipation.</p><p>Yuuri reaches out to draw his fingers along the hot skin, shuddering as he slides Viktor's foreskin back, revealing the bulging head. Viktor is as hard as Yuuri was moments ago, a small trickle of precome sliding down his cock. Yuuri slides his fingers through the mess, then strokes his hand down. He can barely close his hand around it.</p><p>"That's not going to fit," Yuuri says faintly. Viktor smirks.</p><p>"Trust me, it will fit, my love."</p><p>Viktor performs a complicated little movement with the fingers inside Yuuri, and Yuuri gasps as something slick gushes inside him. Viktor covers Yuuri's fingers with his other hand and repeats the motion, and suddenly Yuuri's hand is slick as well, spreading a thick lube over Viktor's cock. He moans at the feeling of Viktor's velvety cock in his hand, wonderfully heavy.</p><p>He wants it so badly.</p><p>"You're ready," Viktor murmurs, pushing his fingers so deeply into Yuuri that he can feel Viktor's knuckles scrape his entrance. He whimpers, meeting Viktor's eyes and catching the way Viktor smiles at him, soft and sweet.</p><p>Viktor guides their hands together, positioning his cock at Yuuri's entrance. Yuuri cries out as the hot, silky head of Viktor's cock begins to press into him. He lets go and reaches down to press his palm to his stomach, over his marque, which begins to burn again as Viktor shifts his hips forward, inch by glorious inch.</p><p>He's <i>so</i> big, enough that Yuuri can scarcely breathe. Viktor reaches under Yuuri's legs and hooks them over his thighs, giving him the advantage of opening Yuuri up more easily. Yuuri tries to scratch at his marque, to try and make the burning stop, but Viktor grabs his hands and pins them down, thrusting a little deeper into him and taking Yuuri's breath away.</p><p>"Viktor, please, it's too much!"</p><p>"Shh, it's alright, darling. You can do it. You were made for this," Viktor soothes, rolling his hips slowly, moving deeper with each shallow grind. The marque is glowing brightly now, and Yuuri feels like he might really die, like this is the end, like Viktor has been lying to him this whole time and he really is a sacrifice.</p><p>Then the burning fades away, and the blue and red light fuse into a soft violet, the entire marque changing color.</p><p>"There," Viktor groans, pushing into Yuuri more deeply now, and Yuuri realizes that Viktor is completely inside him now. He <i>fits</i> in a way Yuuri didn't think was possible, and to his surprise, there is no pain, only a blinding pleasure that sweeps Yuuri away.</p><p>Viktor is making love to him. Viktor is <i>fucking</i> him, with powerful thrusts that rattle Yuuri's entire body, his big cock hitting that sparking place inside Yuuri with each slick glide. Yuuri twists his hands to hold onto Viktor's, and Viktor interlocks their fingers, gently holding his hands as his thrusts quicken, becoming more forceful.</p><p>"Viktor!"</p><p>"This is the first night," Viktor murmurs, his eyes glowing as he gazes down at Yuuri, his thrust steady and deep. Yuuri can only whimper Viktor's name in response. "The first time my seed will touch your soul. The change will begin when I spill inside you and mark you as my own. This beautiful marque of yours will change as well, and when it is complete... then you can carry my children. Our children, Yuuri. Don't you want that?"</p><p>"I do," Yuuri sobs, throwing his head back and whining. Viktor groans and leans down to kiss his throat, sucking a hot mark into his pulse. "I want it! I want you to get me pregnant! I've wanted you for so long!"</p><p>"Ahh, Yuuri, I'm so happy I found you," Viktor moans, then sits up and begins to pound into Yuuri, making him scream. He realizes suddenly that he is hard again, that another orgasm is building inside him, spurred on by Viktor's desire and love. He presses into the sheets, unable to move from Viktor's weight on top of him, his hands pinning Yuuri down.</p><p>"Please, please, please..."</p><p>"Yuuri!"</p><p>The heat that sweeps over Yuuri makes him scream again. He can feel Viktor pulsing inside him, spilling burning fire against his insides, but he can feel something else inside him, a strange sort of pain that isn't pain, like he's eaten too much and his stomach is hurting. But it isn't his stomach, it's his <i>marque</i>, glowing brightly against his skin, some sort of light curling through the heart and filling it up a bit more.</p><p>Yuuri loses sense of his world after that, as Viktor collapses on top of him and curls around him protectively. He drifts, feeling the pressure of Viktor resting inside him, his big wonderful cock still hard and filling him up, making his lower stomach ache in a way Yuuri thinks must be magical. His body is changing, and Yuuri wonders how long it will really take.</p><p>Eventually, Viktor slides out of him and leaves the bed, returning with a bottle of water and a bag of apple crisps. Yuuri consumes the gifts slowly, before setting the empty bottle aside and gazing up at Viktor, who is tracing the marque with something like wonder. He follows Viktor's gaze to look at himself, seeing that his marque is still purple, bordering on red, with a faint line of blue curling around the inner border of the heart.</p><p>"When it fills, you will be ready," Viktor murmurs, entranced. Yuuri smiles softly and pulls him down for another kiss.</p><p>They kiss leisurely, until Viktor breaks away and kisses down Yuuri's neck, his chest, teasing his skin with his lips. When he moves down to rest between Yuuri's legs, Yuuri protests.</p><p>"I need to make sure you're alright down here," Viktor tells him, his eyes twinkling, and then he busies himself with his lips and tongue and Yuuri's entrance, licking his way inside.</p><p>Yuuri loses senses of time after that. All he remembers is that it is a very long night of lovemaking and blinding pleasure and Viktor, and he loves every moment of it.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~</p>
</div>Seven months later, Yuuri stands on a balcony that overlooks the sea. He hears footsteps behind him and smiles, as Viktor's arms wrap around him a moment later and pull him close. Viktor's hands settle over his belly, which is still flat. He has chosen not to have children until after this season, since he still wants to skate against Viktor again and win. He wants gold, and Viktor has promised to give him a run for his money.<p>"Hello, my darling," Viktor murmurs, nuzzling Yuuri's ear. The house Viktor bought for them in Hasetsu is cozy and made up of many rooms that Yuuri plans to fill with children's laughter. Viktor wants to take them to the demonic realm for all the births, but Yuuri has asked to raise their children near his parents. Viktor doesn't want to deny him.</p><p>"I can't believe you tried to get me pregnant right when the skating season started. Again," Yuuri complains, but he is smiling.</p><p>"You didn't mind at the time." Viktor's voice is sly, and the memory makes Yuuri's face heat up.</p><p>No, he hadn't minded. He had all but begged for it, every night before, and every night after. He loves sex with Viktor; he loves what his life has become. He never thought he would have a life after being claimed by a demon, but here he is, wrapped up in Viktor's arms and delirious with happiness.</p><p>"I'm glad I can choose when I want to, otherwise I'd be constantly pregnant," Yuuri tells him with a huff and a blush. Viktor smiles and kisses his neck.</p><p>"Magic is a wonderful creation, darling. Now... shall we try again? Maybe I can convince you tonight."</p><p>"I'd like to see you try," Yuuri starts to say, when Viktor picks him up and slings him over his shoulder like a sack. Yuuri gasps and tries to squirm away, laughing, as Viktor carries him back into the house to deposit him on the bed. Yuuri isn't going to give in, though; he has plans now, for a future he never thought he would get to live.</p><p>They have the rest of their lives to be together, after all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>THANK YOU to Auri, who had this idea and graciously let me write it! And to Rainy and Meri, for being lovely and betaing this ridiculous mess. I had so much fun with this, and I hope you enjoyed!</p><p>Let me know what you think! (*´♡`*)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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